The UniverCity Alliance brings together students, faculty and research centers from across the UW-Madison campus and connects them to the places where people live. The goal of the project is to provide resources to communities to help develop the best solutions for urban growth and development issues.

The City of Monona is the first partner city and has used the alliance to redesign parks, evaluate mass transportation, and set housing and redevelopment goals. Partnerships in other Wisconsin cities will follow.

The Alliance includes representatives from UW-Madison's COWS, Global Health Institute, Institute for Research on Poverty, Morgridge Center for Public Service, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, Department of Urban and Regional Planning and UW-Extension.

Jason Vargo, an assistant scientist with the Nelson Institute and Global Health Institute, leads the initiative.